If you count the time that remains before planting the first new year tomatoes in your garden there is only about six weeks left. That’s just the right amount of time to produce transplants for the garden.

Now, it would be easy to wait until the garden center gets its first-of-the-season transplants. But will it have the varieties you really want to grow? Possibly you have been trying those new clustering grape tomatoes at the grocery store or want the old-fashioned flavor of some of the heirloom varieties. If you do, they probably have to be started from seed.

Tomatoes are easy to start from seed packets obtained at your garden center or ordered from mail-order companies. Just tell them to rush because you have just a little time left to sow the seeds.

- Fill small pots or cell packs with a potting mix available at garden centers.

- Make a 1/2-inch depression in each pot or cell and sow one or two seeds.